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How To Get 5 Plant Servings in One Delicious Green Smoothie

ball jar of green smoothie

Green smoothies are an easy and delicious way to consume 5 plant servings in one glass! I can’t think of a more efficient and purposeful way to get those nutrients and colorful plants in. 5 plant servings equal over half of the 8 (1/2 cup) servings of fruits and vegetables recommended per day, all in one delicious green smoothie!

 

mango kale in a blender for green smoothie

 

5 Plant Servings = 1 Green Smoothie Breakdown

Let me break it down and show you how one smoothie contains 5+ plant servings. Remember, a serving is 1/2 cup or approximately what can fit in palm of your hand.

 

1/2 frozen banana = 1 serving

1 cup baby spinach = 2 servings

1/2 cup frozen mango = 1 serving

1/2 cup frozen peaches = 1 serving

We are already up to 5, and we have yet to add nut butter and seeds, which are also both plant foods and will add even more amazing nutrients.

 

cupow lid and jar of green smoothie

Get Plant Servings in Early

Eat this for breakfast and feel proud that you have such a great head start in getting those fruits and veggies in.

Do you fast for breakfast? Then break your fast and have the green smoothie for an easy, portable, filling and ‘full-of-goodness’ lunch.

By the time dinner rolls around, you are on a roll and adding a simple vegetable side or green salad to dinner can easily get you to 8 servings.

Not quite there by the end of dinner? Munch on a carrot stick as an after dinner snack or before you consume any treats after dinner.

 

simple green smoothie recipe cards

 

Green Smoothie Goodness

It is no wonder that green smoothies are not a passing trend, but something that has been around for a while. I posted my first green smoothie recipe years ago, back when my girls were young enough to beg for green smoothie popsicles!

When green smoothies are made with the right ingredients, they can be a great snack or meal full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, healthy fats and so much more!

My goal lately has been seeing how far I can push the vegetable content in my green smoothies, always trying for more veg than fruit.

Balancing the fruit with veg, seeds, nut butter or nuts helps keep blood sugar stable as the natural sugars in fruit can cause spikes.

I’ve been experimenting with frozen greens, frozen zucchini, and even frozen cauliflower. Watch for more posts and recipes to come on this!

 

mason jar sipping lid cupow

 

Green Smoothie Tips

  • Any milk can be substituted for almond milk–coconut, dairy, cashew, etc.
  • Taste your smoothie before you pour. The sweetness often differs depending on how sweet your fruit is. If you want more sweet, add 1 T organic agave nectar, 100% organic maple syrup, raw honey, or a Medjool date (remove the pit first). My first choice is no added sweetness, but a date is my second choice as it adds some fiber along with the sweetness.
  • Use ripe bananas. This will make your smoothie super sweet!
  • If you don’t have a high-speed blender, blend the greens and liquid first, then add the rest of the ingredients. If you do have a high-speed blender, all ingredients can go in at the same time.
  • Use frozen fruit whenever you can to make smoothies nice and frosty cold!
  • The key to good consistency is seeing a vortex when blending. If you don’t see this, add more liquid.
  • Use organic ingredients as much as possible! The number of plant foods that go into a smoothie can really concentrate the number of pesticides if the fruit is not organic. This is especially important if you are drinking a green smoothie every day.
  • Have leftover smoothie? Do what I did all the time when my girls were young and pour into a popsicle mold and freeze. Can also freeze in a small mason jar and thaw to drink later. Just set out on the counter to thaw for at least an hour.
  • Any greens can be used instead of spinach. Baby spinach is the mild and the taste disappears. Baby kale is my second fav. Swiss chard, microgreens, etc can all be used! Mix it up!
  • To increase protein content and make your smoothie more like a meal, add protein powder. I like to use organic pea protein or any plant-based protein. But…my first choice is protein from natural food sources like nuts, nut butters and seeds.
  • Add 1 T of chia or hemp seeds to power up your smoothies even more and full of plant power! I love the ease of throwing in a couple of tablespoons of my make-ahead super seed mix.
  • Have good straws on hand. I love glass straws or metal straws. I’ve been eyeing these large metal straws because they are nice and wide for gulping those thick green smoothies down quickly.
  • I also love drinking my smoothies from mason jars. I have this Cuppow sipping lid that screws right onto the top of a wide mouth mason jar. I also have these lids that have an opening for a large straw.
  • Make green smoothie frozen ziplock packs to conveniently grab and throw in the blender. If I have these in the freezer, my family uses them up like crazy and I get the satisfaction of knowing all those nutrients went into the ones I love.

 

jar of green smoothie

 

2 Ways To Freeze Bananas Tip

  1. Peel bananas, half them, and freeze them in a ziplock.
  2. Throw ripe, unpeeled whole bananas in the freezer. The skin will turn brown, but the banana will not. Fill blender with hot water and place unpeeled frozen banana in it to thaw for a few minutes, but do not thaw completely. Empty the water, them slip and slide the banana right out of the peel.

 

simple green smoothie recipe card

 

Sneak Peek New Nostalgia Shop Launch

Have you noticed the fun green smoothie cards in the photos? They are a little sneak peak of what is coming very soon from New Nostalgia! You will be able to purchase them once New Nostalgia shop launches the first week of October 2018!

Eek! We are almost there!

I have been working hard behind the scenes creating card sets that I know will be helpful for you! These cards on rings will be printable, portable and have themes for all areas of life that you will be able to refer back to over and over again.

Anti-Anxiety Cards, Green Smoothie Recipe Cards, Prayers for your Kids Cards, Room by Room Home Rescue Cards, 20 Favorite Essential Oil Blends–these are just a few of the card sets that you will find in the New Nostalgia shop.

They have been life-changing for me, allowing me to live life in an efficient and purposeful way.  I can’t wait to share more about them and offer them to you, too!

 

green smoothie jar

{to pin}

5 Plant Food Green Smoothie
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This green smoothie is an easy and delicious way to consume 5 plant servings in one glass! I can't think of a more efficient and purposeful way to get those nutrients and colorful plants in. That is over half of the recommended 8 (1/2 cup) servings of fruits and vegetables per day in one delicious green smoothie!

Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: green smoothie
Servings: 1 person
Ingredients
  • 1/2 banana frozen
  • 1/2 c mango fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 c peaches fresh or frozen
  • 1 c kale or baby spinach fresh or frozen
  • 1 c almond milk or milk of choice
Instructions
  1. Blend spinach and milk until smooth.

  2. Add remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth and vortex appears. If vortex does not move freely...add more liquid. 

GF, Vegan & Raw/ HEALTH/ Nutrition/ RECIPES/ Sides

Eat All Week Chopped Vegetable Detox Salad

bowl of finely chopped vegetables and a bowl of vegetable salad

 

This Chopped Detox Salad is a recipe you can make once and eat all week! It makes a BIG salad, and will put you well on your way to getting your 7 plant servings a day!

It is full of amazing nutrition, is easy to make, and had been well received by my family. It is one of those recipes that brings health and wellness, and I know I will make it for many years to come.

It’s been awhile since I have been THIS excited about a recipe. It reminds me of the excitement I felt when I discovered Chia Oats. A healthy, staple, ‘make-once-and-eat-for-days’ recipe.

 

Finely chopped vegetables in a bowl

 

Detox Salad = Lots of Nutrients

Not only are you getting your vegetable servings in, but they are ALL the colors which is so important. More colors mean more diverse nutrients! I’m always striving to eat the rainbow, and this detox salad is a great way to do it.

 

Head of cut cauliflower and a head of purple cabbage

 

2 Secrets to the Success of Detox Salad

There are 2 secrets to the success of this salad:

  1. All veggies are chopped fine with a food processor. So fine that you could eat it with a spoon– almost like a veggie couscous! Using a food processor keeps you from having to take the time to chop, chop, chop; and makes certain vegetables that can be tough and hard to chew a breeze to eat.
  2. The dressing is so fresh and delicious and was the KEY to getting my family to eat this salad.

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Detox Salad Dressing

We have eaten this salad with store bought dressing when we were short on time and ran out of the homemade version, but I have to tell you, it is not the same!

The dressing in this recipe has such a beautiful fresh lemony taste.

There is something about mixing lemon with ginger and balancing the tang and zest with a bit of honey. Garlic and dijon round it out.

Did you notice that even the dressing contains super healthy ingredients? Lemon is full of vitamin c, ginger is cleansing is garlic and honey both have their own very specific health benefits.

I use avocado oil, as it is a healthy oil and will not harden when refrigerated, so I can make the dressing and store it separately from the salad for my family to help themselves to all week.

You can old use olive oil, but it is not great for refrigerating for later use because it will harden.

 

Take Your Salad To Go

My girls have been helping themselves to this salad, and even have been packing it up and taking to school in their lunches.

It is safe to say that we are addicted. There is so much flavor, so much texture and it is BEAUTIFUL served in a glass bowl.

This salad is great for sharing with a group. It is a show stopper to look at and tastes amazing. I took this to our large family Easter dinner gathering and it was well received, even by those who were a bit skeptical of that many veggies in one salad!

 

food processor bowl with finely chopped vegetable bits in it

 

Micronutrients in Detox Salad

Detox salad is full of micronutrients. Todd and I are on a HUGE micronutrient kick, thanks to Dr. Joel Fuhrman and his amazing books we have been reading together. We love the idea of a high nutrient diet and are pursuing it actively.

From Dr. Joel Fuhrman:

What makes my dietary advice unique is that it is focused on quality, not quantity. It focuses on the type of foods you eat. Its most important nutritional concept is:

H=N/C
Health = Nutrients/Calories

For excellent health and life expectancy, concentrate on consuming foods that contain a lot of micronutrients and fewer calories.

Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals; they do not contain calories, but they have vital functions in the body. Calories come from fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You want to take in the foods that contain the most micronutrients per calorie. You want to get the most nutrient bang for each caloric buck. When you eat this way, calorie-counting no longer matters.

High micronutrient foods come straight from nature; whole plant foods, such as vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, and beans, should be the basis of a healthy, anti-cancer diet.

Without adequate micronutrients, food cravings, discomfort, and the demand to over-consume calories can be overwhelming and derail any effort to lose weight or eat healthfully.

It is nice to not be consumed with counting calories and focused on macronutrients like protein, fats, and carbs. I like just simply looking at my food and asking myself if it is nutrient dense food. A simple question and a simple way of eating.

As a 2-time cancer survivor, I want my body to function well and want to supply it with all of the micronutrients it needs. This salad is such an easy way to do that!

 

finely chopped vegetables in a glass bowl

 

Eat All Week Chopped Detox Salad Recipe

5 from 2 votes
finely chopped vegetables in a bowl
Chopped Detox Salad Recipe
Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

This Chopped Detox Salad is a recipe you can make once and eat all week! It makes a big salad and will put you well on your way to getting your 7 veggie servings a day. 

Recipe Type: Salad
Ingredients
Salad
  • 1 bunch of broccoli about 2 cups chopped
  • 1/3 large head of cauliflower about 2 cups chopped
  • 1/2 small head red cabbage about 2 cups chopped
  • 4 kale leaves stems (about 2 cups chopped)
  • 3 carrots peeled (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 1/3 cup almonds roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries or any dried fruit roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
Dressing
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 tbsp. grated ginger about 1 inch
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1/4 cup oil I use avocado, can use extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Roughly chop all the veggies into bite-size pieces. This can be a fast process, let the food processor do most of the work for you!


  2. Place each veggie into the food processor and pulse until you have chopped the veggies, fine and crumbly. Do this in batches. Finely chop the parsley as well.
  3. Add the veggies into a big bowl, then add the almonds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries.
Dressing
  1. In a separate jar combine the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put the lid on and shake, or mix in a bowl and whisk until combined.
  2. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss everything together, or store separately if want the salad to last all week. It will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator with dressing added, 4-6 days in the refrigerator without. Ours has always lasted at least 6 days.
Serve and enjoy!
Makes 4-6 Servings

 

finely chopped vegetables in a bowl

 

Tips:

  • Key for the salad to last all week? Don’t add the dressing until ready to eat. Use an oil that won’t harden in the refrigerator…olive oil and coconut oil both do, so my choice is avocado oil.
  • This salad will last 4-6 days without dressing, 2-3 days with.
  • A good food processor makes this quick work. I got the Breville Sou Chef for Christmas and it is a dream to use!

Add- in ideas:

  • This recipe is so good just how it is, that I’m hesitant to suggest any add-ins, but I must as it is such a versatile salad and can be used as a base for so many other add-in flavors.
  • Top the salad with sliced hard-boiled egg.
  • Add a can of beans for more protein.
  • Could roll up in a tortilla, rice paper, or raw collard green leaf and use dressing as a dip.
  • Garnish with feta.
  • Add olives or green onions, pepperoncini peppers, or artichoke hearts.
  • Pump up the fiber by adding bulger.
  • Make your leafy lettuce salad even more healthy, sprinkle on this detox salad (pre-dressing) as a chopped veggie topping.

Dinner suggestions:

  • Serve with a piece of grilled salmon or some shredded rotisserie chicken mixed in for a quick dinner salad.
  • Could chop less fine and keep on hand to use for quick stir-frys. I often have leftover cabbage, cauliflower, and carrots, so I chop them up while I have the food processor out, but make them less fine and use in stir-frys.
  • I’ve even justified a pizza dinner by serving this salad as a side. Ha!

 


What about you? Are you wanting to consume more nutrient-dense foods?

Do you think you and your family would like this salad?

Did you make this recipe? Snap a picture and tag @Amy_NewNostalgia on Instagram or share it using #amynewnostalgia –I LOVE seeing your NN creations!~

Brunch/ Featured/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES

Coconut Bacon Recipe

Coconut-Bacon-PIN

Yep, you read that right. Coconut bacon. It’s a thing–a very good thing! I have continued to be amazed at the genius recipes I find in the vegan world.  Although I am no longer vegan, I still try to eat a ton of plants and use meat as a type of garnish or side dish. As far as meat goes, we really only eat fish, organic chicken and organic grass-fed beef.  I will also buy organic, nitrate-free sliced turkey for my girls lunches on occasion.

Coconut-Bacon-640px

Bacon

It had been ages since I have bought bacon, but I recently bought some from Trader Joes that was nitrate-free & really enjoyed it on my salads.  What I didn’t enjoy was the added cost to our grocery budget, and I really don’t want to get into the habit of buying bacon again.

I was recently scrolling through Bloglovin’ & came upon a recipe for Coconut bacon that stopped me dead in my tracks. I love coconut. I love bacon. I love anything salty-sweet, and I knew I would be making Coconut Bacon as soon as I possibly could.

Continue Reading…

GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sweets

Sweet Potato Chocolate Bites

Teniel-Moore-Sugar-Free-Sweet-Potao-Choc-Bites-3-WATERMARKED-011014

by Teniel Moore, our Aussie Raw Foods Contributor 

At this time of year I get so inspired by all the American fall recipes. So I decided to make up these chocolate bites using sweet potato. This is not a fully raw snack due to the sweet potato being cooked but its still an amazingly healthy treat for you.

Of course with pumpkin so readily available in the States right now you can substitute the sweet potato for pumpkin.

These are not overly sweet as I made them when I was doing a strict candida cleanse so I used stevia instead. Like all my recipes please use whatever sweetener you prefer as long as its a healthy version.

 

Sweet Potato Filling

1 large sweet potato, baked
1 cup of coconut butter (3-4 cups of dried unsweetened coconut blended until smooth)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
tiny pinch salt
1 Tbs of melted coconut oil
10 – 12 drops or more of stevia (or 1 tbs or more of rice malt syrup or maple syrup)

In a high speed blender blend well till combined, smooth and creamy

Set in fridge for a while to firm up then roll into bliss ball size balls and place on a lined tray in the freezer to harden. This will help set the chocolate fast.

………………………………………

Here are the balls rolled and on a tray ready to go in the fridge & firm up before they get the chocolate topping:

Teniel-Moore-Sugar-Free-Sweet-Potato-Choc-bites-1-WATERMARKED-011014

Chocolate Topping:

~About 1 Tbls of raw cacao powder
~Melted coconut oil (enough to combine well with cacao)
~Stevia to taste (or your sweetener of choice as above)
~Tinniest pinch of himalayan salt to bring out the chocolate flavour (optional)

Take the frozen sweet potato balls from the freezer and roll into the chocolate mix.
The chocolate will set fast so work quickly giving at least 2 coats.
Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt to decorate if you desire (optional)
Set again in freezer and store in freezer

I enjoy these straight from the freezer as a great little snack or dessert.

Sweet-Potato-Chocolate-Bites-2

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Here are a couple of great ways to get the most out of this recipe & any leftover ingredients you might have:

~Instead of cleaning out your blender and trying to get all the remaining mix out, just add some almond milk, ice, more spices and stevia and make your self a smoothie.

~Keep some of the sweet potato mix in the fridge to make sweet potato creamy smoothies during the week. The mix will keep for a week in the fridge.

Enjoy!

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Teniel-Veggies-Resized

Raw Foods Contributor

Brunch/ Drinks/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating

Matcha Latte & Matcha Chia & Pear Cereal

Matcha-tea{source}

by Teniel Moore–Raw Foods Contributor

Want to try something new to drink thats full of amazing health benefits?
Have you tried a matcha latte? What is matcha?

Matcha is simply stone ground green tea leaves.

This tea is going to provide you with a powerhouse of antioxidants, vitamins & minerals. It is full of vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc & magnesium.

It can help calm & relax, burn calories, and is detoxifying. It is also rich in fiber –and that’s just naming a few of its benefits! If you are looking to add more nutrients into your day, ditch the coffee & try matcha. I buy organic matcha powder and a little goes a long way!

Matcha powder can be enjoyed in so many ways. Here are some ideas of how you can enjoy matcha:

• Creamy frothy coconut milk matcha latte (recipe below)
• Matcha milkshake over ice
• Matcha chia cereal (recipe below)
• Added to your green smoothie
• Throw some into your baked goods
If you have never tried this amazing green powder before, why not give it a try?

Here are 2 simple recipes for you to make using matcha:

Matcha-tea

Matcha Latte

1 cup of coconut milk (or any nut milk of choice)
1/2 tsp of matcha powder
Small amount of hot water to blend
~Heat your milk on the stove or use your coffee machine

~In a cup or small coffee plunger, add your matcha powder & mix a small amount of boiling water in and give it a good stir to break up all the lumps.  (A tiny whisk would be helpful, or for the matcha enthusiasts you can actually buy a bamboo matcha whisk also called a chasen. But that is totally optional. I just use a fork.)

~Once you have whisked the powder well then add your hot nut milk. I like to use a single serve coffee plunger when making matcha. I then use the plunger to plunge up and down fast to create lovely frothy milk.  If you do not have a coffee press, simply heat the milk using your coffee machine

~Serve in your favourite cup or bowl. Add sweetener of choice as matcha does have a slightly bitter taste. I use stevia but coconut nectar or raw honey would work great also.

 

Matcha-pear-cereal

Matcha Chia & Pear Cereal

1-2 Tbs of chia seeds
1/2 tsp of matcha
1 cup of almond milk
liquid Stevia (or sweetener of choice)
cinnamon
1/2 pear thinly sliced
crunchy topping for texture –I like to add dehydrated sprouted buckwheat

~Combine your chia seeds, sweetener & matcha powder with your nut milk in a serving bowl.

~Mix well and wait a few minutes for the chia seeds to swell.

~Thinly slice your pear & add half the pear to the chia mix along with cinnamon.

~Top it off with the rest of the thinly sliced pear and your crunchy topping for texture and another sprinkle of cinnamon.

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Enjoy!

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Teniel-Veggies-Resized

 TENIEL MOORE OF ADDICTED TO RAW

Raw Foods Contributor

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sweets

2 Raw Fruit Leather Recipes- Berry Pear & Pineapple Mint Kiwi Kale

Follow New Nostalgia

Addicted-To-Raw-Teniel-Moore-Apple-Pear-Fruit-Roll-Ups-1-WATERMARKED-171014 (1)_1

by Teniel Moore–our Austrailian Raw Foods Contributor

At times when fresh fruit is abundant I love to make fruit leathers, or as we call them here in Australia Fruit Roll Ups. I also freeze all types of fruit for use when out of season. Currently in Australia its not stone fruit season. We are in the middle of winter. So the recipe below is more suitable for what’s in season now.

However I do have a stash of mangoes in my freezer from summer that makes amazing fruit leathers also.

Like any of my recipes this is only a guide. The ingredient list for fruit leathers are endless. Today I will be sharing 2 recipes with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. They make a great addition to a healthy lunch box for adults or children.

*You will require a dehydrator & a blender for this recipe.

 

Raw Berry Pear Fruit Leather

Ingredients

1 large apple

1 large pear

1 cup of frozen berries

2 leaves of kale or 2 leaves of silver beet (optional)

1 Tsp raw honey or coconut nectar to keep it vegan

 

Instructions

Blend all the ingredients in a high- speed blender.

Then pour the mix onto dehydrator trays with the dehydrator sheet and spread evenly with a spatula.

This amount will make about 2 trays worth. Dehydrate on 105 overnight or until dry.

When ready the roll ups will peel easily away from the dehydrator sheets. Roll up the dehydrated fruit and cut into long strips. Keep in airtight container in the cupboard for up to a week.

…….

Tip – If you add the kale or silver beet your kids will not be able to taste the greens at all. However the berries and greens will turn the roll ups a dark green once dried.

I look for every excuse to get more greens into my kids and this way I promise they can’t taste it at all, so why not add them!

IMG_3491

IMG_3493

 

Raw Pineapple Mint Kiwi & Kale Fruit Leather

Ingredients

2 -3 Kiwi fruit peeled

1/2 – 1 fresh pineapple

1 stem of curly kale

Generous handful of fresh mint

 

Instructions

Blend all the ingredients in a high- speed blender.

Then pour the mix onto dehydrator trays with the dehydrator sheet and spread evenly with a spatula.

This amount will make about 1.5 – 2  trays worth. Dehydrate on 105 overnight or until dry.

When ready the roll ups will peel easily away from the dehydrator sheets. Roll up the dehydrated fruit and cut into long strips. Keep in airtight container in the cupboard for up to a week.

……………….

Other fruit leather combinations to get your creative juices flowing are

Mango & mint

Berry & Honey

Apricot

Mango & coconut

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Amy here: If you do not have a dehydrator, you can use the oven method below.

Here is what I do when making fruit leathers/roll ups:

~Spread out on freezer paper on top of a cookie sheet (can use waxed paper
 
~Put them in the oven for about *4-5 hours (150 degrees is recommended, the lowest my oven went was 170 degrees)
 
~Take them out, let them cool 
 
~Cut them into strips and rolled em’ up
 
~Store in a mason jar.  (or Ziplock bag or any airtight container)
*I put them in the oven after dinner and took them out right before I went to bed.  I let them sit out on the counter all night, then cut and rolled in the morning.  
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Drinks/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES

My Kids Drink Their Greens: Simple Easy Smoothies To Give Your Kids More Greens

My-Kids-Drink-Their-Greens

by Teniel Moore–our Austrailian Raw Foods Contributor

Now that I have your attention……. Do your kids get enough vegetables in their day?
I know as a mum of 3, with 2 younger kids it can be a challenge. But quite simply you can get loads of greens into your little darlings even before they walk out the door for school or kindy that day. It’s as simple as throwing a few items in a blender and off you go.

I have included a few recipes that I make for my kids as an example. But like any recipe you can make it what ever you want. Just remember to include a leafy green and or a vegetable. Lets face it. Most kids get enough fruit in their diet. It’s the veggie part I’m trying to emphasise here.

If you have to start off by hiding the greens you put into your drinks, then do so. Do whatever you can to get your kids enjoying them. After they taste how delicious drinking their greens are, they might not mind you adding the mystery items.

I have come to a point now where I don’t need to hide what I put in. They see me throw in zucchini and kale and they still drink it. Some are more popular than others, so don’t give up. Just keep trying new recipes and combinations until you find what works for your child.

Green Pineapple Smoothie : Aka Tropical Slim

1 cup of good quality coconut water (look for one that has no added sugar)
1 large handful of organic baby spinach
1 Tsp of Raw honey (or your sweetener of choice)
1/2 small pineapple
1/2 zucchini (trust me, you can’t taste it)

Blend until smooth & creamy. Pour into a fun cup or mason jar with a straw. Kids love straws.

 

Banana Smoothie: Aka Nutty Monkey

1 Banana fresh or frozen
1 cup of Almond milk
Generous dash of cinnamon
Stevia to taste
1 Tbls of Nut butter
Dash of vanilla
Ice
1/2 peeled zucchini (I peel the zucchini in this recipe to keep the colour nice)

Blend all in a high-speed blender till smooth & creamy. Pour into fun glasses with a straw.

 

Green Juice : Aka Rise & Shine

1 Small aloe vera leaf (leave this out for newbies)
1 – 2 celery stalks leaves & all
1 bunch of Pak choy or Bok choy
1 green Apple
1 Lemon peeled
Handful of green grapes

Juice all your ingredients. If you do not own a juicer you can blend everything in a high-speed blender & strain through a nut milk bag then pour into a glass and serve with a cute straw.

 

My Tips For Getting Kids To Drink Them

1. Give them a choice of the type of smoothie flavour they want and work from there
2. Let them help you make it
3. Make up crazy silly names for the drinks
4. They gotta taste good
5. Make their smoothies attractive and fun to look at. It’s as simple as giving them a straw or a fun cup, Let them add a topping like coconut, chia seeds, fruit or crunchy nuts or seeds

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Teniel-Veggies-Resized

 TENIEL MOORE OF ADDICTED TO RAW

Raw Foods Contributor

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